The attack happened shortly before noon in an area of Strawberry Fields that according to police is, "off the beaten path."

Police say the woman was in the park bird watching.

"He was doing some act, may have been exposing himself or something along those lines. She, we believe, may have taken a picture of him and he then sexually assaulted her," Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.

Eric Ozawa, a college professor, found the woman in the bushes.

"She told me she had been raped and beaten and someone had taken her bag," Ozawa said.

That bag, law enforcement sources say, is the backpack the man in the picture has on him, and in his left hand.

Investigators believe he may speak with a Russian accent.

So far, Eyewitness News is told that police don't know who he is or where he was headed.

In the park, across from the Dakota, home to the rich and famous, a crime scene is what's drawing people's attention right now.

In a place, most people say, they usually feel safe.

"Never take for granted your safety and always be aware," said Michael Gonzalez, an area resident.